The present invention relates to a drainage valve comprising an inlet opening and an outlet opening extending in opposite directions from a valve housing, a movable valve member within the housing and an operating lever connected to the valve member, said valve member is movable between an open position in which the valve member is arranged to permit flow through the valve and a closed position where the valve member prevents flow through the valve. The invention further relates to a collection bag assembly comprising said valve.
A large number of people have medical problems that cause bladder incontinence either on a temporary or permanent basis. In order for such persons to have a reasonably normal life, they are fitted with catheters for collection bag which normally is strapped to the person's leg during the day. Alternatively said bag can be placed beside a bed during the night e.g. connected to a larger storage bag.
Such known urine collection assemblies have a variety of problems that range from annoyance and embarrassment to actual health hazard.
One of these problems is that when the bag fills with urine it becomes heavy and uncomfortable, which can restrict the patient socially and cause anxiety and embarrassment. It is therefore necessary to have a drainage valve attached to the collection bag. This ensures that the patient or user conveniently can empty the bag during the daytime and use the valve as a connection point to a larger storage bag for overnight use. In the latter situation the valve remains open.
The valve is normally connected to the bag by a length of tubing close to the person's body, and drainage valves used in the conventional collection system, comprises an operation lever, which is movable between a closed position generally parallel to the length of tubing and an open position generally at right angles thereto. In the open position the projecting lever may press into the person's body and may be inadvertently moved to the closed position for example when the person turns over in his sleep.
Such a valve is e.g described in GB 2129912, where the operating lever moves through an angle of substantially 90 degrees between the valve-open and valve-closed positions. However when the valve is in the open position the operating lever will protrude perpendicular from the valve. This means that for applications where it may be necessary to leave the valve in the open position for longer periods, for example in drainage systems connected to bedside storage bags and especially in systems for overnight use and for bedridden patients, the protruding lever presents increased risks of snagging the bedclothes causing inadvertent closure of the valve or of providing discomfort to the patient.
In order to meet this problem both GB 2269884 and EP 428 331 describes drainage valve having an operating lever that lies substantially parallel with the tubes connected to the valve in both the open and closed position. However, since these valves will not be placed in an open position before the operating lever has been placed parallel to the opposite tubes, these valves has the significant drawback that patients having a limited manual dexterity find it difficult to apply the amount of stress needed to rotate the lever between the two positions, i.e. rotating the lever more than 150 degrees, several times during the day when the valve is opened for periodic drainage. Consequently, the users often experience difficulty in opening or closing the valve or have to use two hands to operate the valve.
Furthermore, it is not always obvious to the user whether the valve is open or closed, leading to the risk of leakage if the valve is inadvertently left open.
Electrically controlled and operated valves have also been used in the prior art urine bag systems. But, their use presents other problems. First, such valves require a power source, which not only is expensive to maintain but also provides the risk of failing at very inconvenient times, leaving the valve in the open or closed position. Stuck in the open position, the valve will not close the urine bag leading to contamination of the surroundings, and stuck in the closed position, the valve will not allow the drainage system to be drained, leading to significant discomfort for the patient.